Beaver County Head Start/Early Head Start Registration Day: Giving Every Child a Strong Start

Head Start/Early Head Start Registration Day, a crucial step in opening doors to early childhood education for eligible families in our community. The event took place on March 19^th, 2025 at 5 locations throughout the community.

Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income families. These programs are designed to ensure that children from birth to age five are ready for school and have the tools they need for lifelong success.

The event was open to families with children birth – 5 years old and provided the opportunity for families to apply for the Head Start/Early Head Start Program. Families enjoyed refreshments, and children engaged in activities such as making slime, bracelets, and listening to stories. Families enjoyed getting hands on experience with some of our digital activities like playing with sand at the illumination station which projected light and images into the sand, dragging and dropping facial features on potato heads on smart boards, and engaging in activities on HATCH tables, which offer a wide variety of touch screen games.

The families had a chance to tour the classrooms, meet the instructors, and learn more about the program. Often children came in shy, and clinging to their parents, but an hour later they were begging not to leave! After completing the application, parents were seen sitting back, sipping on a juice box, and watching their child thrive in our classroom environment.

This event is just one of the Registration Days planned for the year. We will have another one in June to ensure we are filled for the beginning of the school year. In addition to recruiting children into the program, staff also used this as an opportunity to collect info of any parents who were interested in a job with PIC! From this, the staff received 2 individuals who were interested in applying for a job as well!

Who Can Enroll? Families with children from birth to age five may be eligible for Head Start or Early Head Start based on income and other qualifying factors. Children with disabilities are also encouraged to apply, as Head Start programs are inclusive and provide services tailored to each child’s unique needs.

What to Bring? To register, families should bring:

• Proof of income (tax return, pay stubs, etc.)
• Child’s birth certificate
• Immunization records
• Proof of residency (utility bill, lease, etc.)

Our team was available on Registration Day to assist families in completing the application process and answer any questions.

Why Early Childhood Education Matters Research shows that early childhood education plays a pivotal role in a child’s development, helping them build social, emotional, and cognitive skills that form the foundation for success in school and beyond. Head Start and Early Head Start programs go beyond academics by involving parents in their child’s learning journey and offering resources to support the entire family.

Overall, this event was a phenomenal success! Not only did it help us begin to build our rosters for the 2025-2026 program year but also provided us with several leads for new teaching staff. Events such as this give our program hope to open more classrooms and become a bigger presence in our community.